Financial Services UK

  • May 22, 2024

    Greenberg-Led SPAC To Buy Safety Biz for $1.85B, Quit LSE

    Admiral said on Wednesday that it has agreed to buy industry safety company Acuren for $1.85 billion, as the blank-check business seeks a slice of the growing and resilient infrastructure inspection sector.

  • May 22, 2024

    Citigroup Fined £61.6M For Trading Systems Failings

    Two finance regulators said Wednesday they have fined Citigroup Global Markets Ltd. a total of £61.6 million ($78.4 million) for failures in trading systems that led to the lender mistakenly selling $1.4 billion in equities into European markets.

  • May 21, 2024

    EU Gives Final Approval To World's First AI Rulebook

    European Union law negotiators gave the final green light on Tuesday to the first worldwide rules on artificial intelligence across most sectors including financial services, classifying its usage in bank lending risk assessments or insurance underwriting for EU citizens as high-risk.

  • May 21, 2024

    Denmark's Sydbank To Acquire Local Coop Bank For $50M

    Danish lender Sydbank said Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire the country's Coop Bank AS from its parent company for a preliminary purchase price of 345 million Danish kroner ($50.2 million), in addition to signing a partnership agreement.

  • May 21, 2024

    I Am An Honest Man, British Trader Tells £1.4B Fraud Trial

    Sanjay Shah, a former hedge fund owner who is accused of defrauding Denmark's tax authority out of £1.4 billion ($1.8 billion), told a London court on Tuesday that he is an "honest man" who traded using a legal "loophole."

  • May 21, 2024

    Finance Pros 'Too Afraid' To Blow Whistle On Fraud

    More than three-quarters of finance professionals in the U.K. stayed silent after spotting or suspecting internal fraud in their workplaces, a survey published on Tuesday showed, with nearly half saying they feared a backlash.

  • May 21, 2024

    Credit Union In Default, £2.6M Compensation Expected

    The Financial Services Compensation Scheme said Tuesday it will protect the members of Castle & Crystal Credit Union Ltd. as the financial company entered into administration.

  • May 21, 2024

    UK Pension Reform Could Create 'Too Big To Fail' Providers

    The proposed government fix for the spiraling number of retirement savings pots could create pension giants that are too big to fail, an industry body warned on Tuesday.

  • May 21, 2024

    Mastercard, Visa Fee Hikes Face UK Competition Scrutiny

    The Payment Systems Regulator said Tuesday that the two biggest card operators, Mastercard and Visa, do not give value for money on their services and that it will take steps to hold them more accountable.

  • May 21, 2024

    Ex-Insurance Exec's Wife Denies Knowledge Of Illegal Money

    The wife of a former executive at Gable Insurance has denied cashing in on unauthorized payments from her husband who, the Liechtenstein insurer alleges, siphoned off millions of pounds from the company to accounts he had links to.

  • May 21, 2024

    Hayes Gets Lifeline In Bid To Overturn Libor Conviction

    An English appellate court on Tuesday opened the door for two traders convicted of manipulating benchmark interest rates to appeal to the U.K.'s top court but said that the justices must decide whether to hear the case. 

  • May 20, 2024

    Autonomy CEO Reaped $516M From HP Acquisition, Jurors Told

    Ex-Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch took home more than $516 million from the software company's $11.7 billion sale to HP, an FBI agent testified Monday as the government's last witness in a trial over allegations Lynch duped HP into overpaying to buy the company.

  • May 20, 2024

    SFO Seizes Cash In Bank Account Linked To Nigerian Bribery

    Britian's anti-corruption agency has seized more than £36,000 ($46,000) from the former managing director of an African state-owned banknote printing company after prosecutors traced the money to a bribery scheme. 

  • May 20, 2024

    Collapsed Firm Escapes Fine For Making Unapproved Claims

    The solicitors' watchdog for England and Wales on Monday waived a £65,300 ($83,000) fine for a shuttered law firm that submitted claims without clients' approval, scrapping the penalty to safeguard the outfit's creditors.

  • May 20, 2024

    Lessors File Russia-Stranded Planes Cases After Major Ruling

    Two aircraft lessors have filed details of claims against insurers in London for a combined total of $62.1 million over planes stranded in Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine after a landmark ruling tossed attempts to move the cases and others to Russia.

  • May 20, 2024

    UK Leads Europe In Financial Services Investment, EY Says

    The U.K. has solidified its position as Europe's top destination for foreign direct investment in financial services as it attracted 108 investment projects in 2023 compared to 76 a year earlier, the Big Four accounting firm EY said Monday.

  • May 20, 2024

    Step Up Action On Financial Abuse, FCA Tells Firms

    The Financial Conduct Authority has called on regulated firms to take further steps to stop financial abuse of individuals through manipulation of banking or insurance products as it looks through the lens of the Consumer Duty.

  • May 20, 2024

    Crypto 'Inventor' Used Court As Vehicle For Fraud, Judge Says

    A London court ruled Monday that the man who claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto in a weekslong trial lied extensively and committed forgery "on a grand scale," finding that the computer scientist had used the courts as a "vehicle for fraud."

  • May 20, 2024

    Addleshaw Helps British Land Sell Stake In Mall To Norway

    British Land said Monday that it has sold its remaining 50% stake in a mall in northern England to Norway's sovereign wealth fund for £360 million ($457 million), as the property investor looks to reduce its exposure to indoor shopping centers.

  • May 17, 2024

    Imprisoned Oligarch Partly Wins Bid To Expand $14B Claim

    An imprisoned Russian billionaire partly succeeded in a London court Friday in adding new allegations to his $13.8 billion claim alleging his business empire was fraudulently taken in a wide-ranging Russian state conspiracy.

  • May 17, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen a wave of claims filed against Verity Trustees Ltd., Harley-Davidson hit retailer Next with an intellectual property claim, Turkish e-commerce entrepreneur Demet Mutlu sue her ex-husband and Trendyol co-founder Evren Üçok and the Solicitors Regulation Authority file a claim against the former boss of collapsed law firm Axiom. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 17, 2024

    SEC Can Try To Show Jurisdiction Over German In $3M Claim

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will be allowed to pursue evidence to support its case for disgorgement of $3.3 million in allegedly ill-gotten gains from a German man whose son was implicated in a $150 million pump-and-dump scheme, a federal judge in Boston ruled on Thursday.

  • May 17, 2024

    Pensioners Lose £80M In Credit Over Submission Errors

    The Department for Work and Pensions has said that retirees lost out on £80 million ($102 million) in payments to help top up their weekly income to a minimum level because they submitted inaccurate information about themselves in the last financial year.

  • May 17, 2024

    FCA Sets Out Consumer Duty Priorities For Closed Products

    The Financial Conduct Authority has sent "Dear CEO" letters to multiple financial service firms, setting out its priorities for the July deadline to apply the Consumer Duty guidelines to closed-off products such as old savings accounts or insurance policies.

  • May 17, 2024

    ABN Amro To Sell Stake In Life Insurance JV Neuflize Vie

    BN Amro Bank NV said Friday that its Neuflize OBC French private bank branch has entered "exclusive negotiations" to sell the unit to the insurance subsidiary of BNP Paribas SA to form a strategic partnership in life insurance in France.

Expert Analysis

  • Mitigating Incarceration's Impacts On Foreign Nationals

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    Sentencing arguments that highlighted the disparate impact incarceration would have on a British national recently sentenced for insider training by a New York district court, when compared to similarly situated U.S. citizens, provide an example of the advocacy needed to avoid or mitigate problems unique to noncitizen defendants, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: The Benefits Of Non-EU Venues

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    In Spain v. Triodos, a Swedish appeal court recently annulled an intra-EU investment treaty award, reinforcing a growing trend in the bloc against enforcing such awards, and highlighting the advantages of initiating enforcement proceedings in common law jurisdictions, such as the U.K., says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.

  • How Proposed Platforms For Unlisted Co. Trading May Work

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    The U.K. government is continuing development of its proposed private intermittent securities and capital exchange system to facilitate secondary share trading in private companies through a regulatory sandbox while ironing out details, representing an innovative step for unlisted company liquidity, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Experian Ruling Helps Cos. Navigate GDPR Transparency

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    In Information Commissioner v. Experian, the Upper Tribunal recently reaffirmed the lawfulness of the company's marketing practices, providing guidance that will assist organizations in complying with the GDPR’s transparency obligations, say lawyers at Jenner & Block.

  • Clarity Is Central Theme In FCA's Greenwashing Guidance

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    Recent Financial Conduct Authority guidance for complying with the U.K. regulator's anti-greenwashing rule sends an overarching message that sustainability claims must be clear, accurate and capable of being substantiated, say lawyers at Cadwalader.

  • How New FCA Rules Strengthen Borrower Protections

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published final rules, aimed at strengthening protections for borrowers in financial difficulty by regularizing good practices across the industry, put its previous guidance on a permanent footing and send a clear message to firms that this issue remains a regulatory priority, say James Black, Julie Patient and Mark Aengenheister at Hogan Lovells.

  • Opinion

    New Property Category Not Needed To Regulate Digital Assets

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    The U.K. Law Commission's exploration of whether to create a third category of property for digital assets is derived from a misreading of historical case law, and would not be helpful in resolving any questions surrounding digital assets, says Duncan Sheehan at the University of Leeds.

  • FTSE Draft Rules Show Impact Of FCA Listing Reforms

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    FTSE Russell’s recently published provisional rule changes represent a much-awaited indication of its response to the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s proposed listing reforms, providing a level of certainty that will assist issuers and advisers in preparing for the implementation of the regime, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

  • FCA Strikes A Balance With 'Finfluencer' Guidance

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    With financial firms leveraging social media to engage with a broader audience, the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent "finfluencer" guidance signals a recognition of the imperative to adapt regulatory frameworks while maintaining a firm commitment to consumer protection, say David Allinson and Damien O'Malley at RPC.

  • Dissecting Recent Developments Against The Misuse Of NDAs

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    The U.K. government's recent plans to nullify nondisclosure agreements that prevent victims from reporting crimes should remind lawyers to proactively consider the necessity of such agreements, especially in light of the Solicitors Regulation Authority's warning notice on drafting improper NDAs, say Clare Davis and Macaela Joyes at RPC.

  • What To Know About The Russia-Stranded Plane Ruling

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    The High Court's recent decision in Zephyrus Capital Aviation v. Fidelis Underwriting, rejecting reinsurers' U.K. jurisdiction challenges in claims over stranded planes in Russia, has broad implications for cross-border litigation involving exclusive jurisdiction clauses, says Samantha Zaozirny at Browne Jacobson.

  • 3 Notable Pensions Reforms In Spring Budget

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    The U.K. government’s spring budget introduced reforms to improve pension outcomes through the value for money framework and the lifetime provider model, as well as to encourage investments in Britain — three interlinked areas that could pressure trustees and providers to rethink how they approach investments, say Liz Ramsaran and Marcus Fink at DWF.

  • Assessing The FCA Data Study's Response To User Concerns

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    The Financial Conduct Authority’s recently published report on the supply of wholesale financial data differs from others in its exceptional breadth and analysis of an enormous volume of information, but in its reluctance to address market power or pricing directly, the regulator’s approach is still cautious, say Emma Radcliffe and Greg Dowell at Macfarlanes.

  • Focus On Private Funds Will Boost Ireland's Global Standing

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    As the market increasingly pivots to private funds, Ireland's recent introduction of particular products — such as an updated, flexible European long-term investment fund — provides more structuring opportunities and paves the way for a brighter outlook in the country, say lawyers at Dechert.

  • Cum-Ex Prosecutions Storm Shows No Sign Of Abating

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    The ongoing trial of Sanjay Shah in Denmark is a clear indicator that efforts remain focused on holding to account the alleged architects and beneficiaries of cum-ex trading, and with these prosecutions making their way across Europe, it is a more turbulent time now than ever, says Niall Hearty at Rahman Ravelli.

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